1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to containers and more particularly a dispensing apparatus comprising an adapter in combination with the container to enable multiple subsequent use of the container and overcome clogging of the fluid or material in the container discharge valve.
2. Technology Review
Materials or fluids such as adhesives are marketed in containers pressurized with propellant self contained within the container. In use, fluids or materials such as an adhesive under pressure emerges from the discharge valve directed toward the substrate to be adhered. By the nature of materials such as adhesives, which are ordinarily sticky and often viscous, the discharge valve frequently becomes plugged and otherwise difficult to use due to dried old viscous fluid or material collecting and hardening inside and around discharge valve after use. Considerable effort must be exerted to dislodge the blocking viscous fluid or material, while sometimes the container must be discarded if the plugging becomes extensive. In essence, material or fluid blocking in the container discharge valve after each use is a nuisance to the consumer and structural changes are necessary to prevent or overcome the blocking.
It now has been found that conventional valves for pressurized containers can be retrofitted with throw away plastic adapters which avoid plugging after each use of the container. The adapters are inserted into the discharge valve or nozzle of the container prior to use. The adapter means is maintained in place or may be removed after the material or fluid is used to assure that the discharge nozzle is maintained open and unplugged and to prevent subsequent plugging and hardening of the material or fluid in the container discharge valve. If the plastic adapter means of this invention becomes plugged after one or more uses, the adapter can be discarded and replaced with a new adapter means to once again maintain the container nozzle free of plugging material or fluid. Meanwhile, the original container valve remains free of plugging by hardened materials or fluids. By way of example but not limitation, these materials or fluids include adhesives, silicones, urethanes, acrylates, sealants, caulks, paints, and like materials which may become more viscous or harder upon exposure to the environment. The plastic adapters are cheap and easy to manufacture, simple to use by merely inserting into the container discharge valve, and can be packaged with the container for easy access. In a preferred aspect of the invention, a plastic ring can be attached to the top of the container for holding adapters which can be expediently removed from the ring to replace the previous adapter means as needed. In preferred aspects of the invention, a hand activated trigger mechanism is attached to the container where the trigger mechanism contains a central opening to accommodate the container discharge valve and the adapting means of this invention. The trigger mechanism provides biased pressure on the discharge valve to facilitate dispensing of the material or fluid from the container through the container discharge valve. These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent by referring to the drawings and the detailed description of the invention.
One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a dispensing apparatus being an adapter means in combination with an aerosol container for discharging materials or fluids where the adapter means can be connected to an existing aerosol container having a discharge valve or nozzle. The adapter means comprises an interior sleeve insert in combination with an exterior dispensing tip for fitting within and engaging the existing discharge valve to prevent clogging of the discharge valve with material or fluid after use. In a preferred aspect of the invention, a trigger mechanism is attached to, or otherwise locked onto the top of the container, where the trigger mechanism contains a central opening for accommodating the discharge valve protruding through the central opening along with the insert sleeve and exterior dispensing tip. The trigger mechanism is operative to bias the discharge valve along with the interior sleeve and exterior dispensing tip to activate discharging adhesive from the aerosol container in use.